Boot or shoe.



Unrrnn Sra'rns PATENT Genres;

\VILLIAM GORDON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 640,900, dated. January 9, 1900.

Application filed July 10, 1399. Serial No. 723,261. (No model.)

To all whom it rim/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GORDON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a'boot or shoe the heel and counter of which are protected by a sheet-metal shell which covers the heel and a portion of the counter and not only prevents the heel from wearing unevenly, but prevents the running over or displacement of the counter and heel toward one side. A protector of this class has recently been invented comprising a sheet-metal shell which fits upon and covers the external surface of the heel and a portion of the counter, the shell being formed to enter the rand-crease between the heel and counter. Said shell as heretofore made has necessarily had its entire outer surface exposed, the counter-covering and the heel-covering portions forming the external surfaces of the parts to which they are applied.

The present invention has for its object to enable the counter-covering portion to be concealed by leather or other material which will not present a metallic appearance when subjected to wear; and to this end the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of a shoe embodying my inven tion. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a'represents the counter, and b the heel, of a boot or shoe, which may be of ordinaryconstruction excepting that the heel may be left rough or unfinished externally,'it being concealed by the metal shell hereinafter described. The said shell comprises the heel-covering portion 0 and the counter-covering portion 0, these portions being made of a single piece of sheet metal formed by suitable dies or otherwise to conform to the external surfaces of the heel and counter. The heel portion 0 is formed With a flange 0 which projects inwardly upon the bottom surface of the body of the heel and is attached thereto by nails or other fastening devices d. A tread-piece or top-lift e, which may be of metal or of leather, is placed upon the flange c and may be secured by the nails 01 or by independent fastenings and constitutes the wearing-surface of the heel. The shell has an inwardly-projecting offset c at the upper edge of the heel-covering portion, said offset being preferably inclined downwardly from the edge of the portion 0 and forming,with the lower portion of the countercovering portion 0, a recess or pocket adapted to receive and hold the lower edge of a covering-piece f, of leather or other flexible material. Said covering-piece is shaped to cover the portion 0 of the shell and is stitched or otherwise secured alongits upper edge to the counter (1, its lower edge being inserted in the pocket formed as above described. The

said pocket may be of such form and depth that it will hold the lower edge of the covering-piece without the aid of other holding or fastening means; but,if desired,the said lower edge may be additionally secured by metallic staples 2' or other fastening means to the portion 0 and the parts of the shoe covered thereby.

The covering-piecefconceals the upper portion 0 of the shell, and thus reduces the Visible area of metallic surface presented by the shell.

I claim-- 1. A boot or shoe haviuga metallic stiffener or protector formed as a shell to cover the heel and a portion of the counter and a covering-piece of flexible material such as leather secured to the shoe above the counter-cover ing portion of the shell and extending down wardly over and covering the last-named por= tion, said shell having a recess or pocket ex-' tending along and projecting into the rand crease of the shoe, and formed to receive the lower edge of said covering-piece.

2. A boot or shoe having a metallic stiffener or protector formed as a shell to cover the heel and a portion of the counter, a coveringpiece of flexible material such as leather secured to the shoe'above the counter-covering portion of the shell and extending downwardly over and covering the last-named portion, said shell having a recess orpocket ex & tending along and projecting into the randing a pocket between the heel and counter- 10 crease of the shoe, and formed to receive the covering portions of the shell adapted to relower edge of said covering-piece,and means ceive the lower edge of a covering-piece.

for attaching the lower edge of the covering- In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- 5 piece to the shell and the part of the shoe nature in presence of two Witnesses.

within it. WVILLIAM GORDON.

3. A metallic stifiener or protector formed Witnesses: as a, shell to cover the heel and a portion of E. BATOHELDER,

the counter of a boot or shoe, said shell hav- N. HURLEY. 

